Process of making playing-balls.



PATENTED APR.16,-19o7.

P. H. RICHARDS.4

PROCESSv 0F MAKING PLAYING BALLSl APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2. 1902.

rRANCIs n. RICrniRns, oR HARTRCRD, CCNNRCTICU'I.

PROCESS OF MAKING PLAYING-BALLS.

Specification of Letters Patent,

atenten April 16, 1907.

Application led Tune 2,1902. Serial No. 109,905.

,To all 11171/0711/ if 11m/y concern:

Be it known that l, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the County of Hartford. and State of Connecticut, have invented Certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making PlayingeBalls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention. relates to a process of manu- 4Io facturing playing-balls, more especially to the `form employed in the game of golf; and 'the invention Consists substantially in the improvements hereinafter particularly described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional Aview representing an. uneXpanded center piece or filler, of soft rubber or similar material, employed in the manufacture of my improved ball. Fig. 2 is a sectional view 2O representing the center piece or filler of the ball with a layer or envelop of guttapercha applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a similar view representing a fabric-lined layer or envelop of Celluloid applied to the structure shown in Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views illustrating means employed in intermediate stages of manufacture of the ball. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a fragment of my improved ball, illustrating the construc- 30 tion more Clearly; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the mold employed in the manufacture of my improved ball, showing in' part section a Completed ball located in the mold..

In proceeding to manufacture a playingball in accordance with my present improved process l first provide a spherical center piece or filler, of soft rubber or similar mate rial, and form therein a perforation 2, in the wall of which is a vent 2', the numeral 3 designating the outer surface of the said center piece or filler and the numeral 4 the inner surface thereof. Upon this center piece or filler lapply an envelop 5, of gutta-percha or analogous material, and to the latter I apply a fabric-lined envelop 6, preferably of CellulOid orvits equivalent. The envelop 6 may be applied While the Celluloid is in a plastic Condition and then allowed to harden to an 5o extent to permit handling with safety. If

desired, the fabric and Celluloid may be separately applied one after the other, and each of the several envelops may also be otherwise applied than herein described and be within 5 5 the scope of my invention, it being desirable that all the envelops be loosely arranged.

The ball thus assembled I inclose in a mold c, consisting of two parts a and a, .having a pair of hemispherical depressions b, which together form a spherical cavity or chamber The mold is also provided above the said spherical Cavity o r chamber l5 with a cylindrical bore c, formed by opposite recesses c in the parts' of the mold, and in said bore works a piston e. ln the hole d, which is formed by recesses d in the parts of the mold, is inserted a funnel f, having a flange The part a of the mold is provided. with a transverse perforation g, the Wall of which is screw-threaded at L to receive' a threaded plug y', and the two parts of the mold may be provided with dowels 7c.

When the ball is placed in the mold, the

lower part of the funnel passes through the perforation 2 and communicates with the cavity 4 of the spherical center piece or :filler 1. In the bore C of the mold is placed a quantity of gutta-percha 7@ which is rendered fluent by heat, and said fluent material is forced into the hollow spherical center piece or filler by the piston C, as indicated at Fig. 4, the displaced air escaping through the vents 2 and g, whereupon the plug y' may be inserted, as at Fig. 5, and the piston forced farther down to Cause the gutta-percha to expand the rubber Center piece or Vfiller and its several envelops to the limits permittedA by the sides of the mold-Chamber. A vent 8 may be provided jfor the escape of air from the chamber. ln this way the spherical rubber Center piece or filler is materially increased in diameter and put under tension., while the gutta-percha and Celluloid of the envelops .being rendered plastic by heat are caused to conformto' the shape of the mold chamber, the surfaces of the walls of which are provided with pits, as herein shown, so as to form" brambles upon the outer surface of the completed ball. The pressure is maintained upon the piston C until the entire ball structure Cools and hardens, and on the completion of the ball the perforation 2 2 may be filled by a plug 9.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of my improvements, it being apparent, for instance, that the fabric lining 6 between the outer envelop of Celluloid and the inner envelop of gutta-percha may be omitted or other material substituted therefor.

Having described my invention, l claiml. A process of making a playingeball Consisting in applying to a hollow spherical elas- IOO IIO

tic center piece an envelop of gutta-percha, then applying a fabric-lined envelop, and

' finally placing the structure under distention by injecting into the center piece a mass of material rendered fluent by heat and adapted to harden on cooling.-

2. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in applying to a spherical hollow center piece a loose envelop of gutta-percha, then applying a loose fabric-lined envelop, and finally placing the structure under distention by injecting into the center piece a mass rendered fluent by heat and adapted to harden on cooling.

3. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in applying to a hollow spherical elastic center piece an envelop of gutta-percha While hot, then applying a fabric-lined envelop also under heat, and finally placing the structure under distention by injecting thereinto a mass rendered fluent by heat and adapted to harden on cooling.

4. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in applying to a hollow spherical elastic center piece an envelop of gutta-percha, then applying a fabric-lined envelop, and finally placing the structure under distention by injecting into the center piece a mass of gutta-perclia rendered fluent by heat and allowing the mass to cool.

5. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in applying to a hollow spherical elastic center piecey a loose envelop of guttapercha, then applying a loose envelop of fabric-lined material7 and nally placing the structure under distention by injecting fluent gutta-percha into the center piece and allowing the mass to cool.

6. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in applying to a hollow spherical elastic center piece van envelop of gutta-percha, then applying an envelop of fabric-lined material, and finally placing the structure under distention by injecting thereinto a mass rendered fluent by heat and adapted to harden on cooling, and simultaneously imparting to the structure a spherical form externally.

7 A process of making a playing-ball consisting in applying to a hollow spherical elastie center piece a loose envelop of guttapercha, then applying a loose envelop of fabric-lined material, and finally placing the structure under distention by injecting thereinto a mass rendered fluent by heat and adapted. to harden on cooling, and simultaneously imparting to the structure a spherical form externally.

S. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in applying to a hollow spherical elastic center piece an envelop of gutta-percha, then applying an envelop of fabric-linedrnaterial, and finally placing the structure under distention by injecting fluent gutta-percha into the center piece, and simultaneously imparting to the structure a spherical form externally.

9. A process of making a playing-ball coni sisting in applying to a hollow spherical elastic center piece a loose envelop of guttapercha, then applying a loose envelop of fabric-lined material, and finally injecting fluent gutta-percha into the center piece and simultaneously imparting to the structure a spherical form externally.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS. l/ilitnesses:

E. EVERETT ELLIS, B. C. STICKNEY. l 

